Looking Behind the Mask
by Ahzure
Summary: Zero hides behind his mask, shutting out everyone, while Kaname is always there for Yuuki. ZeroxYuukixKaname and lemons! I don't own Vampire Knight, but this story belongs to me. Please read and review. Chapter 13 up!
1. Chapter 1

With the halls ringing to the tune of quiet chatter, Yuuki wandered towards Yori, who leaned gently against the doorframe. She looked faintly amused by some overheard tidbit of rather scandalous gossip, but she wore patience as easily as she wore the flattering school uniform. Yori wore her hair short and slightly curly, but she appeared unconcerned by its rumpled condition when she turned to pin Yuuki with a joyous smile.

"Finally! I was beginning to think you were going to be missing class again. Where have you been?" Yori exclaimed sharply. Her nose twitched in amused betrayal by her best friends sudden disappearance for the past two days.

Yuuki tried to dodge her piercing manner by just shrugging it off and change the topic to whatever gossip had the whole class unsettled. This was a failed attempt. Yori saw right through her sad acting skills and her eyes widened in exaggerated shock.

"You've been with Zero again, haven't you?" She whispered mockingly as they entered the classroom and sat down. York knew on no uncertain terms what Yuuki's weak spots were and teased unmercifully with good spirit.

Yuuki had the grace to blush furiously when Zero slipped in quietly behind them. She hoped he hadn't overheard Yori's irresponsible comment. When she nervously glanced up at him, he wore his usual neutral mask.

"Of course not! I've just been really sick. I'm fine now though," Yuuki murmured, sounding slightly mollified. She attempted to cough convincingly.

The real reason why she had been removed from class was much more fatal. Zero hadn't been able to control his need for blood, and she had lost far too much blood for someone of her size. However, she wasn't worried about that; she was anxiously trying to think of reasons for him to even consider drinking from her again. Yuuki knew that seeing her so fragile and pale had done some serious damage to his already brittle self-esteem.

xxx

With class finished, the students streamed away to dorms and the common rooms to chat with friends. Zero took off quickly, heading back to his room, with Yuuki trailing. She ran to catch up when he wouldn't slow his pace for her. Catching his sleeve, she forced him to stop on the quiet landing of the stairs.

"Please, talk to me. You haven't said a word to me since –" Yuuki faltered as she saw the unfurling pain in Zero's eyes.

"Stay away! I can't be near you, I'm a danger!" Zero smacked her hand away, angry with himself for allowing her to come so near. He wouldn't repay her kindness with the pain of being slowly sucked dry by a dirty vampire.

He soon recognized what a mistake it was to physically push her away. Yuuki's eyes filled with tears, and Zero realized that he had underestimated his vampire strength once again. Going against his earlier vow, he tried to apologize.

"Yuuki! I'm sorry. I didn't mean…" He gently grasped her hands, trying to soothe the pain. Zero laughed, a terrible, sad sound. "I told you, I'm a danger…"

What I would do to brush away those tears, make them go away forever… Zero thought as he looked into her immense brown eyes. He knew he could fall right in and drown if he gazed for too long, and die happily, but he wrenched himself away.

Quickly, Zero softly wiped away the drops from her face, focusing on them rather than the feeling of her porcelain skin. When the last one had fallen and been smoothed away, he moved his hand to Yuuki's hair. He stroked it slowly, knowing she was watching him.

Yuuki closed her eyes, reveling in the feeling of his fingers tangled in her hair. It was so calming. When she opened her eyes again, she realized that it wasn't a smart idea when waves of dizziness consumed her. Yuuki swayed, revolved, and finally fainted.

When she reawakened, she was wrapped firmly in strong arms. Zero stared down at her, ready to sweep her off her feet if she blacked out again. Yuuki frowned as she felt a headache coming on. She tried to draw back, knowing she needed to appear strong to be allowed to walk back to her room.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I must have gotten dehydrated –" Yuuki began, but was cut off by Zero's glare.

"You know as well as I do that you shouldn't have pushed yourself today. If I hadn't drank your blood, you wouldn't be like this!" Zero spat each word out, furious. Who he was angry at was undecided. Without further acknowledgement, he picked her up like a sack of potatoes and walked briskly back to her room. He ignored her outraged excuses about how she was well enough to walk, thank you very much.

When they got to Yuuki's room, he fumbled with the doorknob but eventually got it open. Zero dropped her on the bed and looked her firmly in the eye. He knew that getting her to rest was going to be like trying to wrestle with a large, wild cat.

"Can I get you anything?" He asked, changing his voice to be soft and soothing. "Water? Soup?" Zero waited, unruffled, at the end of her bed. His arms were crossed and he looked patient enough to out-wait a rock.

Yuuki unknowingly pouted, understanding that she was caught in his very attentive snare. She said nothing, willing to fight with silence. Suddenly Zero's arms flexed, and then he was abruptly much closer than before. He kneeled beside her on the bed, and his arms were reaching for the buttons on her coat.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she tried was too stunned to brush his fingers away. Zero had undone three buttons before she managed to regain her senses and firmly push his hands away to unfasten them herself, revealing her thin white blouse underneath. He smiled and moved away to turn down the covers for her, silently acknowledging that he had won.

After releasing herself from the confines of her jacket, she went to hang it up and gather fresh pajamas from her dresser. Yuuki went to the bathroom to change, and when she returned, he was sitting at the desk with his back to her. She stealthily moved behind him, knowing she could never outwit his superior senses, but willing to give it a shot anyways.

He almost killed her when Yuuki wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Zero had been so wrapped up in reliving the memory from the picture in his hands that he hadn't even heard Yuuki's return. He mentally kicked himself at his mistake, and dropped the picture back onto the polished wood table.

Her hair whispered over his skin, and he relished every moment it stroked his skin. Zero spun swiftly, and the surprised Yuuki fell straight into his lap. He snaked his arms around her when she almost dropped right off. This movement abruptly brought her face much closer than he had expected, and she was looking straight into his amethyst eyes. Their noses bumped softly as Yuuki sucked in air.

When she breathed out, Zero smelt the sweetness of cinnamon. Before he could stop himself, he was leaning in closer, just to smell more of what made up Yuuki. She couldn't draw away with his arms wrapped so tightly around her, but Yuuki wasn't even sure she wanted to. His silvery soft hair was brushing against her face, and the distance between their mouths was fast diminishing. So she closed her eyes and did something quite uncharacteristic.

She tousled her hands into his hair, and drew his inviting lips down for a kiss. Zero's eyes flickered wide, shocked by the way her mouth pressed against his. Completely astounded, he unfroze slowly. Then his lips were moving against hers, encouraged by the way she moved closer. The marvelous sensation spread a feeling of warmth from his chest, plummeting downwards, traveling faster with each second.

Yuuki lost herself in the rhythm of their dance, sluggishly opening her mouth to his tongues advances. Her breath was coming faster now, and she felt his tickling her cheek, rapid like hers. His arms loosened, but his hands still lifted and arched her back. They began to travel downwards, smoothing the fabric of her silk pajamas against her. When Zero's hands reached her buttocks, she gasped at his advances, breaking their lips apart.

He jerked, and the glazed look of his eyes cleared. Zero stood up hastily, barely comprehending what had just happened. Yuuki dropped the short distance to the floor, startled by the sudden events. Her mouth fell open in an 'o' as she saw the stiffness in his pants directly perpendicular to his body. When he looked down, he flushed brightly, and stuttered.

"Y-yuuki. I'm sorry!" Without a backwards glance he fled the room, trying to hide his body's reaction to his overwhelmed senses.


	2. Chapter 2

Their lunch break had just begun, and the day class students were flocking like geese to various popular locations. The air was filled with the essence of spring briskness, encouraging the budding flowers to open their vibrant petals. Yuuki giggled softly as a bumblebee threatened to land on Yori's fake blossom pinned in her ruffled curls.

They started towards their favorite secluded spot to gossip in relaxing solitude. The path was narrow but well worn, leading between towering oaks into a small patch of woods on the very edge of the Chairman's property. Sunlight danced between the fresh leaves, dappling the girls in refreshing shade. Yuuki sighed contently when they reached the private glade.

The various trees parted around a tiny pond, silent and still. The lush green grass as naturally short, perfect for cushioning the shapely bodies of the two teenage girls just embracing womanhood. Settling serenely at the edge of the water, Yuuki smiled happily and shook her hair free from the restraining pins.

Yori finished her lunch fairly quickly, content to wait for her slower companion. Brushing the hint of crumbs from her black uniform, she inquired unhurriedly about Yuuki's curiously mysterious weekend activities. Yuuki almost choked on her last bite of sandwich, but Yori swept in with tact to thump her on the back.

"Oh, I didn't do much, just normal family stuff with Father and some homework. I didn't leave my room much," Yuuki explained carefully. She didn't like having to step around the truth, but she wasn't exactly lying.

"spend much time with Zero?" Yori inquired breezily, catching the look in her eye. While Yuuki tried to avoid Yori's penetrating stare and hide the blush beginning to creep into her cheeks, Yori simply laughed.

"I know you like him. I think he returns the feelings as well; he actually looked glad to attend class this morning. It's the first time I've seen anything besides annoyance or frustration on that boy's face," Yori pointed out. She usually noticed more than she let on, preferring to use the knowledge in subtler ways. Yori thought the way Yuuki flushed was really quite amusing.

Standing up, Yori led them back towards the classrooms. Lost in thought, she had almost walked right into Zero before realizing something large blocked her way. He looked down at her, floating cold and emotionless behind that mask, and his frigid glared made Yori shiver. Then his face warmed slightly as his eyes came to rest on Yuuki.

"Yori. I didn't want to interrupt your meal, but I wish to talk to Yuuki. Alone." Zero firmly grasped Yuuki's wrist and dragged her back into the shade of the trees. Yori sniggered quietly at their retreating backs bfore continuing on to join a crowd.

Yuuki was too stunned by Zero's abrupt appearance and short speech to resist his rather rough handling. When they finally came to a stop, hidden by the thick foliage and away from prying eyes, Yuuki was building up for a fierce retaliation. She quickly stifled the words ready to leap from her throat when she saw his crimson eyes. Mentally counting backwards, she came to the conclusion that he hadn't had any sustenance since he almost drained her about a week ago.

He thirstily undid the buttons of her restraining coat, forcing his movements to be slow. Zero wished his hands would stop shaking from his rising need for Yuuki's succulent blood. He could see the artery pump in her throat, pulsing faster with the apprehensive tension she always felt, prey confronted by predator. She reached up to undo the top buttons of her blouse for easier access to her neck.

Zero slowly was bending forward, his fangs growing longer. Yuuki shut her eyes when she felt the tickle of his hair breeze against her face. Steeling herself for the pain, she was unprepared for the soft mouth that nuzzled against hers. The kiss was sweet and chaste, just a meeting of lips; a way of saying "I'm sorry," when the words would have stuck in his throat. Then his mouth descended on her neck, suckling from the life-flowing vein. The pain only lasted a second before she was swept away on a dizzying wave of intoxication.

He tried to be gentle, but the feeling of blood slipping into his mouth and sliding lazily down his throat always infused Zero with newfound strength. And with that strength came power, the will to command. He wanted to make Yuuki know that he was the one in control, the one who took her blood. It wasn't hers to give because it already belonged – to – him!

Yuuki knew something was different this time, but way up there, with her head in the clouds, she couldn't think of what had changed. Then his hands closed tightly on her wrists, crushing the bones until they almost broke. Yuuki cried out, hurt, and beginning to feel the rising terror in her chest. His only response was to growl and suck harder to the point of being painful.

Suddenly Zero grasped her by the waist and propelled her backward, pinning her to the nearest tree. His hands began to crawl up the sides of her body under her shirt, wrapping around to her bare back. When Yuuki gasped loudly at this new advancement, his short nails dug into the flesh of her back, making her shiver away from Zero's hands and into his body. He groaned softly into her neck as the full length of her body pressed against his. Leaning away from Yuuki, he brought his hands down to cup her butt and lifted her upwards, then pushed her back to rest hard against the tree. Yuuki's skirt rode up as she swiftly wrapped her legs around his waist, and Zero's hands skimmed up her thighs, moving it up farther. He stroked the tender skin of her inner thigh, reveling in the tiny moan that escaped her lips.

Yuuki felt a warmth kindle between her legs, and itch that needed to be scratched. Only, whichever way she twisted in his grasp, it was never satisfied. She was starting to notice something growing against her, something hard. It was warm and felt deliciously good to rub up against, Yuuki thought as she panted. Zero had finally stopped dragging from her neck and had settled into sucking softly for several moments, tasting her pleasure in her blood. Yuuki's frustrated thrusting had driven him to a new plateau, but it appealed to his human side rather than feeding his thirst. Conquering his urges to tear away the clothing restraining him and take Yuuki right there and then, he groaned as her rocking dampness pushed him to a fresh level of pleasure. Zero's knees nearly buckled under him but he remained standing by sheer will. He noticed her eyes were foggy, completely glazed from the frenzied bloodletting.

She was nearly there, just… a little… a little more, and Yuuki rode the crashing surf, surrendering to the warmth of release. She smiled faintly and her head lolled against Zero's shoulder, worn out. Completely unaware of his own excited finish, she wondered briefly why his breathing was just as ragged as hers.

Mingled with Zero's own incoherent thoughts was the ringing of the warning bell signaling the end of lunch. This woke him from his daze enough to fully comprehend what he had done. Rapidly the ability to move came back to his aching limbs, and he pulled away from her, and ashamed, he still supported her with his hands underneath her bottom. She clung on fiercely, unable to understand walking or standing, let alone math and quadratic equations.

"Shit," though Zero.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: More lemons. You'll probably be able to make lemonade by the time I'm finished with this story. =P**

**Please read and review! I also will happily take any spelling/grammar fixes, story bugs, and suggestions for further chapters!**

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Yuuki lay in bed, sprawled out under the blankets, clad only in a thin satin shift. The sheets were tangled around her bare legs from her incessant movements. It was 12:37 and she just could not fall asleep. Her mind always kept coming back to the events of the past week. With each thought her cheeks flamed brighter, reliving the scene in her bedroom, and, more recently, the encounter in the woods.

_What does Zero want from me?_ Yuuki wondered silently._ I never thought that he would think of me that way. _Confused, she turned over on her other side. The moonlight flowed in through the parted curtains, playing with the breeze. She reached out to touch the beam of light, wondering at the innocent beauty.

Letting her hand fall, she began to look inwards and inspect her own feelings. What did she feel for him? Yuuki couldn't be sure, but she knew that she had enjoyed the feeling of his lips upon hers, his skin against hers, his hair mingling with hers. The barely restrained tension from the regular bloodlettings had blossomed into full bloom, and she decided that she liked the advancement.

After finally reaching a conclusion, sleep claimed her. Unbeknownst to her, the breeze had sprung into a full-blown wind, pushing storm clouds towards the Cross Academy. Lightning began to strike, pummeling the ground with electricity. Thunder rumbled ominously, slowly becoming louder and closer.

Yuuki woke with a start and cowered beneath the covers. With every lightning strike she shuddered uncontrollably. Tears welled up in her eyes as she jumped out of bed, leaping for the door. After a quick wrestle with the doorknob she was flying down the dark corridor, flinching with every boom of thunder.

He only got a few moments warning by the pitter-patter of running footsteps before Yuuki burst into the room, hair sticking up in every direction. Zero sprang up in sitting position as she slammed the door behind her as if that would shut out the thunder and lightning. She flung herself onto the bed, straight into his chest, driving both of them back into the mattress. He threw his arms around her to prevent her from rolling to the floor and felt her quivering in fear.

He loosened his grip and began to stroke Yuuki's hair and back. Her thick mane was pressed into his nose and he was filled with the smell of spice and apples. Zero breathed deeply, letting both of them relax from the adrenaline rush, relieving some of the tension in both their bodies. When she finally stopped sobbing and shrinking from each wave of thunder, she finally realized that she was lying across a very naked chest. She became aware that she was cradled between his legs that were only clothed in underwear. Her hand reached out innocently to stroke his arm, and the hard muscles that flexed from her attentions.

Zero's hand froze in her hair for a second before he could continue. Her fingers pirouetted across his sensitive skin, climbing up his arm, descending his chest to tickle his stomach. Before it could explore more flesh he grasped her chin and forced her gaze to his.

"Yuuki…" He murmured, trying to get air to his lungs. His head felt much too light headed for him to be unaffected by her interests in his skin. "You have no idea what you're doing to me. Please stop before... before I do something I might regret!"

Her head tilted, and her lips parted. Yuuki was confused by his words. She couldn't comprehend what he meant; not realizing how her lightly dancing fingers frustrated him, she increased her pressure with her growing amounts of concentration on his riddle.

Irritated by her lack of understanding, Zero roughly pulled Yuuki up his body, curling his fingers behind her neck to press his lips against hers. His tongue flicked past her lips, exploring the taste of her willing mouth. Zero almost stopped in surprise when she moved eagerly against him. He hadn't thought that the satin of her nightgown could feel so good rubbed against his skin…

His hands descended upon her back, caressing the softness of her shoulders and tracing her spine. Yuuki felt chills go up her body and she shivered. Zero stopped for a moment to look at her through his silvery hair, concerned. His violet eyes almost glowed in the near blackness of his room. Suddenly, Yuuki was staring up at the ceiling, dizzy from the fast movement.

He reached behind him to pull up the blanket, wrapping it around him like a cape before crouching down to cover her body with his. Zero's long legs rested on either side of hers, and his arms were like twin ivory pillars by her shoulders. Yuuki felt very safe right here, protected by his body from the storm.

Looking down at her, he gazed into her eyes. He thought she was beautiful, but would never admit it out loud. Smoothing the hair away from her delicate face, Zero lowered himself farther onto her and met her mouth with his. He licked her lips gently, and then moved past her lips to dance with her delicious tongue.

Yuuki placed her hands on his chest, feeling the hard contours of his body. Zero was made of stone, she decided. One hand skipped down towards his stomach, while the other was brought up to curl into his feathery hair. Zero felt himself react to her movements and was very quickly resembled stone in another place. He tried to shift his hips away from her, but he ended up just dragging the very sensitive hardness across the silky fabric, making him moan against Yuuki's mouth. Zero then realized that he had managed to escape from his boxers.

Embarrassed, he pulled away abruptly, panting. Yuuki looked down, following the stony planes of his body until her eyes came to rest on the shape peeking from his underwear. Zero was about to make a break for the bathroom to fix the indiscretion, his mind racing for something to say, when Yuuki reached out to touch his hardness. He froze, stunned and unsure what to do. Then her fingers enveloped his length and he almost died. He groaned as his heart nearly succeeded in trying to beat its way from his chest.

"Zero? Is this… is this okay?" Yuuki inquired, curious as to why he looked in pain. When he didn't say anything, or give any indication that he had even heard her, she moved her hand slightly. He gasped and then thrust his hips into the softness of her hand. To ease the motion he straightened up until he was kneeling over Yuuki. She sat up as well and watched, fascinated, as he plunged in and out of her lax fist.

As she looked on, several thoughts passed through her mind; how would that driving force feel if her hand was substituted for something else? Would she ever experience him sliding in and out of her? What does he taste like? With that final idea, she leaned over and flicked her tongue against the tip of his length, watching Zero's facial expression. His eyes were closed and his chin tilted slightly upwards, but when her tongue made contact with his body his eyes snapped open and he stared down at her, utterly surprised – and aroused – at this new sensation.

His lips parted in a moan as he tangled his fingers in her auburn hair. Zero's pants became rougher, occasionally punctuated with a satisfied grunt, as her lips enfolded him and her tongue swirled the tip. Groaning, he cradled her head in his hand, the muscles standing out sharply all over his body, as Yuuki's mouth was flooded with a salty-sweet fluid.

When Zero finally came to his senses, he looked down at Yuuki. She had a dribble running down her cheek and she looked like she had run a mile. Realizing that he was staring at her, she got suddenly skittish and leaped away, running for the bathroom. She closed the door and slid down it, trying to grapple with what had just happened. _What's happening to us?_ Yuuki thought.

Zero was asking himself the same question. Huffing, he hurriedly grabbed some pajama pants from his dresser before collapsing into bed. Lying there, he was hanging on desperately for Yuuki to return. Secretly, he was frightened of the thought of her running out on him again. Then the bathroom door opened and Zero stiffened, waiting for rejection.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. Forgive me?" Yuuki whispered into the darkness. She realized suddenly that the storm had past and a soothing rain had begun to fall, dripping down the window like tears. She shivered from the cold.

"Hmph! There's nothing to be sorry for. Get under the blankets or I will be mad. You'll catch a cold. I'll sleep on the floor," Zero muttered, annoyed with her for wearing such a flimsy thing in the chilly air. He breathed out a visible puff of air, relaxing now that he knew she wasn't going to turn away from him for what had occurred between them.

Yuuki got settled into bed, happy that Zero had already warmed it up with his body heat. The heat didn't last very long though, and then she was shuddering uncontrollably. Despite her embarrassment, she called out into the night.

"Z-z-e-r-r-o?" And then he was there, curled around her, protecting her from the cold.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: This one's a short one, with no lemon – well not really, anyway. Kaname decides to make an appearance though, so beware! **

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Zero woke up to sunlight streaming through the windows and the smell of spiced apples cradled in his arms. Trying not to move too much, he raised his head to glance at the clock that blinked 10:03. Remembering it was a Saturday he sunk back down and pulled Yuuki closer to him, breathing in deeply the scent of her hair. Exhaling, he smiled softly as she stirred.

She was pulled from her dreams by the swirl of air that swept through her hair. When she her feeble attempts to stretch were crushed because there were arms binding her movement, she realized that what she had _thought_ was a dream, wasn't. Frozen by this epiphany, she blushed furiously while wondering what she should do.

"Good morning, Yuuki. It's time for you to have a shower. You smell," Zero said, mentally adding 'wonderful' onto his last sentence. Understanding her turmoil, he released her – reluctantly – and stood up when she popped out of bed.

"O-okay. I'm s-sorry," Yuuki stammered, flying out of the room and down the hallway to the larger family bathroom. She slammed the door behind her, breathing hard, and only stopped to rip of her nightgown before jumping into the shower. Almost scalding herself, she turned the temperature down a little. Shaking, she wondered what was happening between Zero and her. As an afterthought, she speculated what would transpire in the future.

Meanwhile, back in his room Zero was reliving last night's events. Trying to skip over the juiciness, he focused on Yuuki's reactions. When he couldn't pin point any time that she seemed to be regretting or disliking the incidents, he relaxed. _Maybe she feels for me what I feel for her_, Zero hoped desperately. He had been containing his emotions towards Yuuki for far too long and they had built up until they suddenly spilt out. What he wasn't sure of was whether it would bring them closer or drive them apart.

xXx

Yuuki made her way back to her own room, clad only in a towel. Her wet hair stuck to her scalp and left tiny rivulets of water down her back. Before she had left the bathroom she had brushed her teeth and stuffed her clothing in the laundry bin, so she had nothing to carry. What she wasn't prepared for was the appearance of Kaname Kuran.

"Hello, dear Yuuki," he pronounced, so quietly Yuuki had to move closer to hear him. Kaname opened his arms and pulled her towards him for a hug and Yuuki didn't resist. It had been a few months since she had seen him last because he had been away on business. He held her close and felt the beating of her heart against his chest soothe his natural reactions to Yuuki being so close.

When she tried to pull away the towel got caught on one of Kaname's buttons, and the fabric slipped down to her waist, baring her breasts to the world. She gasped loudly while Kaname just stared, surprised and utterly fascinated. Standing stock-still, he reached out to touch her tender flesh, stroking the soft curves of her flesh, making her nipples harden. She yelped and Zero materialized at the end of the hall, brought by the sound of her distress.

Yuuki blinked, and Zero was abruptly had covered half the distance between them. Kaname had finally removed his hand. She came to her senses and yanked the towel around herself, trying to secure it while backing away towards her room. She felt the doorknob poke her in the lower back just as Zero's hands surrounded Kaname's neck. With a squeak, she escaped into the shelter of her bedroom, locking the door behind her.

"You son of a bitch Kuran! You dare touch Yuuki in that manner again, I'll kill you," Zero hissed through his bared teeth, his fingers crushed around Kaname's air pipe. He had pressed the pureblood against the wall, furious with the Kuran vampire's blatant violation of Yuuki. Kaname smiled widely before planting a hand squarely on Zero's chest. He threw Zero backwards so firmly that Zero hit the other wall of the hallway before sliding down, knocked out by the force of Kaname's push.

When he roused seconds later, Kaname was standing over him with his hands in his pockets, looking completely relaxed and slightly amused. Zero struggled to his feet, using the wall as support, his head spinning. Kaname backed up, waiting until Zero had gotten his feet planted before assaulting him again, using words as a weapon this time.

"She will never be yours, Kiryuu. You are a pitiful vampire, soon to fall to level E. When you lose your humanity, she will come to me and I will destroy you, erasing you from history. Good day, Zero." With that, Kaname walked away the way he had come, never looking back. Zero lost his footing and slid back down the wall, knowing the words for truth.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Woah! This story has taken on a life of its own. I seriously started out writing out this chapter intending for something different to happen, but it wrote itself and fought my attempts to get it back on course. Please READ and REVIEW. **

After getting dressed, Yuuki sat on the floor in the corner of her room, trying to make herself as small as possible. She was terrified that Zero had done something irreversible to Kaname, but she knew it was her fault. If she had knocked Kaname's hand away as soon as he had touched her they wouldn't be in this situation. When she heard the muted THUNK of something hitting the wall, she flinched and started to cry, hugging her knees closer to her chest.

It took a few minutes, but she finally worked up her courage enough to face the wrath of both of them. Yuuki scrubbed the useless tears from her face and got to her feet slowly. She lingered at the door, frightened of what she would come upon in the hall. When she opened the door and crept into the hallway, it was deserted. Confused, she slunk down the passage and came to a stop outside Zero's door, wondering whether she should knock or just return to her room, when the door flew open and she came face to face with Zero.

He looked just as startled as she felt for a moment, but then his expression hardened into anger. Yuuki's mouth dropped open at the sight of him wearing his street clothes. _Zero is going into the city?_ Yuuki thought, baffled. He almost never went unless it was an order from the Chairman. Then she saw the duffle bag slung across his shoulder. _He's leaving?_

"Get out of my way, Yuuki," he said roughly, trying to nudge her out of the way without hurting her. When she wouldn't budge, his eyes glittered with determination like orchid jewels. His face rapidly went through a dozen emotions, but finally settled on outright irritation.

"What are you still doing here? Expecting a goodbye kiss? This… this _joke_ of me pretending to like you has went on long enough, but I guess I owe you one." Zero narrowed his eyes, hissing in her face. Abruptly he had pulled her into a forceful embrace, bending down to crush his lips to hers. Then he was gone, striding down the hallway. Yuuki thought she heard him choke on laughter just before he turned the corner, but she couldn't be sure because she had wilted to the floor in shock.

Yuuki kneeled there for several minutes before her brain began to function again, and the tears began to fall for the second time in under ten minutes. She sprawled out on the floor, looking like a battered doll. Through the blur of water she saw a figure approaching hesitantly from stairwell. She blinked, and saw that the white uniform was worn with authority, and realized that it was Kaname. Too broken to understand that she should try to straighten her skirt which had ridden up to show her underwear and that her blouse had come slightly undone, she reached an arm out to the tall figure. Yuuki needed the comfort of a hug, and who better than her savior to pick up the pieces of a broken heart?

As soon as Kaname saw that Yuuki still wanted him near, even after the incident just mere minutes ago, he sprinted the distance parting them to kneel at her side. Pained by her tattered state, he swiftly enclosed Yuuki in his arms, ignoring the blatant sexuality of her condition of dress for the moment. Kaname picked her up, her head resting against his shoulder. He started walking towards the Chairman's office, attempting to keep his gate smooth as to not jar her fragile body.

"Yuuki… Yuuki, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen," he murmured into her hair, knowing that he should explain, but couldn't find the words. "Zero made me so angry that I completely forgot why I had come up here in the first place. I was on my way to visit the Chairman, but ran into you instead. When I was returning I saw him leaving the grounds. He looked like he was going away for a while." He knew that those words weren't adequate for explaining what happened between him and Zero. Kaname knew it would hurt Yuuki, and possibly make her turn away from him once she found out that it was Kaname's fault that she was upset.

"Shit. He's not here. Your Father went on an urgent business trip. It says that he will be back in a couple days," Kaname explained, nodding towards the note taped to the thick wood door. He looked down and saw that she had stopped crying, but was now staring blankly up at the ceiling. Sighing, he turned back the way he had come. Kaname couldn't leave her here by herself, but he didn't know what he should do. Finally making up his mind, he headed back to the Moon Dorm.

xXx

Yuuki woke up in an unfamiliar bed, in a dark, unknown room, cradled by strong arms. She snuggled closer and rolled over, expecting to be greeted by violet eyes. Blinking in surprise at Kaname's auburn one's, the past day came crashing back down upon her. Tears welled up in her eyes once again and she began to sob uncontrollably, oblivious to the fact that Kaname was tenderly kissing her tears off her face. He towed her against his chest, hugging her fiercely.

"No matter what, I will always love you, Yuuki," Kaname whispered, his breath tickling her face. From her reaction to Zero leaving, he was beginning to understand that something more had transpired between them than just a sibling bond. It had cut away at his heart, but he knew that he knew that he shouldn't feel betrayed when he had never made his feelings known to her. This was his chance and he wasn't going to let it pass him by.

Dazed by his words, she slowly stopped weeping. Then his warm lips were brushing against hers, his eyes begging Yuuki to accept him. He brought his hand up to brush away the hair from her face, softly stroking her cheek, wishing he could sweep away her pain just as easily. She closed her eyes, seeing only Zero as Kaname continued to kiss her, hoping to wake something inside of Yuuki, the part that loved him only.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Please, if you find any spelling/grammatical errors, message me. If there is anything that should be changed, let me know. I've noticed that people have been adding this to their favorites, but not leaving reviews or comments! Please, I need to hear some feedback.**

**Hope you like it. Rather sad, I think.  
**

* * *

It had been a week, and Zero still hadn't returned. No phone call, no message, and no rumour of where he could be. Yuuki was slowly was beginning to accept the fact that he wasn't coming back. When frantically told Father when he returned home, he was very upset but said that there was nothing that they could do. If he wanted to leave that was his choice, he explained softly, wiping the tears from his adopted daughters face.

Yuuki hadn't been attending school, but Chairman said that that was okay. She was under a lot of stress and he understood her need to take a break; it was almost their spring intermission anyway, he reasoned. Kaname was spending all his extra time with Yuuki and had even skipped a couple of his classes, always trying to make her smile.

Yori had a lot to say about Yuuki's moping behavior. Shamelessly, she teased and bribed Yuuki into doing some of her favorite activities, hoping to break through the blank eyed girl. Even going shopping and eating sundaes hadn't helped and Yori was beginning to get very worried about her best friend. After chewing over her options, she decided that she would help Yuuki try to find that silver haired jerk who did this to her.

She phoned her parents, asking them for a favour. They managed to come up with a few possibilities through some of her dad's friends, but most of them were too far-fetched for the stories to be believable. The most likely match was in a small town a couple miles away, where a violet-eyed stranger had recently taken up residence. He was living in a small motel, doing manual labour for some pay.

When Yori had gathered enough information to be sure it was Zero, she asked Yuuki to meet her for lunch in the courtyard. After some one-sided chitchat, Yori decided to break the news. As soon as Yori blurted out Zero's name and whereabouts, Yuuki broke down in tears. Yori thought it was progress, seeing as it was more emotion than Yuuki had shown in days.

"D-d-don't! Just don't speak his name, please. If he really wanted to be here, he would have come home by now. He's gone, Yori! For good!" Yuuki stormed away, returning to her room, leaving her uneaten sandwich on the table. Yori sat their in silence for several minutes, wondering what she should do, before sighing and wandering back to her own room.

Yuuki took deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart and ragged breathing. _I'm not going to let the thought of _him_ control my life anymore. Not now, _she thought, determined. Roughly brushing the tears from her face, she began to clean herself up. After putting on a cute outfit and doing up her hair, she wretched open the door with more force than necessary.

Making her way to the Moon Dorm, Yuuki tried to settle the seething butterflies in her stomach. Everything inside her heart – what was left of it - screamed _stop, go back! This is betrayal!_ She entered the building and slowly climbed the staircase, resolutely forcing one foot in front of the other. Reaching Kaname's study, Yuuki opened the door without knocking and stepped inside. She closed it firmly behind her, not willing to meet his eyes just yet.

"You love me, don't you?" Yuuki kept her gaze on his desk while Kaname stood near the window, looking over his slender shoulder at her. Within seconds he had his arms around her, holding her gently to his chest. Pushing away slightly, she stood on her tiptoes and tangled a hand in his dark brown locks. Closing her eyes, Yuuki pulled his face down to meet his lips with hers. Once she opened her eyes, she saw the surprise and confusion in his own auburn depths. Letting her lids drop again, she kissed Kaname with every drop of fierceness and intensity she had left within herself.

Abruptly, Kaname tightened his grasp on her and lifted her feet off the ground. He carried her into his private rooms attached to his study and kicked the door shut behind him. Backing towards his bed, he gracefully fell backwards onto it, pulling Yuuki down on top of him, then rolled over so that she was underneath him. Kaname broke the kiss and waited for her eyes to open to gazed into them, trying to read the emotions there.

"I love you, Yuuki. Please, stay here tonight? I understand that I have become the substitute, when previously the roles were reversed. What you do now, you can't take back." Kaname searched for some kind of indication of her response, his voice husky and hoarse. He waited for an answer as Yuuki's eyes flickered around the room, desperately trying to find something to say.

She shut her eyes tight, and saw Zero's face. Within that moment something broke inside of Yuuki, something unfixable, forever unable heal. Tears leaked out between her lashes, completely ignored by the soul inside the body, fighting to remain. Opening her eyes to meet Kaname's, she made her decision.

Crushing her lips to his, she forced herself to be lost in the kiss. Releasing all her anger, hurt, and frustration, she spun them all into one to become her energy. It was all the answer that Kaname needed and he responded in kind, but with considerable more warmth and happiness. Yuuki soon learned that while Zero exuded violence and stony silence, Kaname was soft and tender, gentleness that Yuuki needed.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Please read and review. I no longer know where this story is going to end up! I am really hoping that some of you will give your thoughts and suggestions! I've been getting plenty of readers, but nobody reviews. What's up with that?**

When Yuuki finally drifted off to sleep in Kaname's arms, he sighed heavily, letting out all the stress of the day. He never thought that the day would turn out this way. He was happy, but deeply concerned for Yuuki's sanity. She had startled him by being so forward and he was wondering if it was a sign that he should move into this cautiously. If she did turn away from him one day, Kaname was worried that he might not be able to take the strain. After the trauma of Zero's betrayal, his Yuuki had become a different person and he wasn't sure if it was the type of woman he wanted her becoming. His train of thought took him to a new approach on the matter and he smiled, softly.

Knowing his next move would have to wait until daylight, he snuggled in beside Yuuki, now fully allowing himself to enjoy the comfort of having her beside him. Her energy had worn out quickly, consumed by her intensity. Even with just the memory his lips began to burn, wanting the feeling of her plush mouth again. He titled her head gently to face him and kissed her, just a brush against her lips. Yuuki stirred slightly in her sleep and rolled towards him, placing her bared leg overtop of his. Reaching out, he stroked her smooth ivory skin, entranced by the softness of it.

A knock on the door alarmed him and he mentally cursed himself for letting his guard down. Before he could move, the door opened and Ruka stuck her head in. Her gaze fell on the sleeping form of Yuuki cradled in Kaname's arms, and her eyes widened, then sharpened into a glare.

"I see you're _busy_ Kuran, but you have a visitor. Sorry to interrupt… whatever it was you were doing." Ruka hissed, looked pointedly at the hand still resting on Yuuki's naked thigh before removing her head and closing the door with a SNAP. The noise woke Yuuki from her slumber and she jolted up to a sitting position, searching for the cause of the sound.

"I'm sorry, it appears that I have got a couple things to take care of. Would you mind waiting for me?" Kaname whispered, kissing her forehead as he stood up. Stretching, he noticed her eyes roam his lithe body and he smiled, pleased. Falling back into the covers, Yuuki barely noticed being tucked in. She was asleep in seconds.

Kaname made his way down to the foyer, amazed to see Yori standing in the middle of the floor, looking vaguely discouraged. She didn't know the secret about all the Moon Dorm being vampires, but she was very sharp mentally and he didn't doubt that she suspected something different about the Night Class. He smiled politely as he greeted her generously.

"Yori! Just the person I wanted to see. Please, how can I help you?" Kaname showed a very rare bit of enthusiasm, no doubt shocking Yori because her eyes flickered with distrust. She eyed him curiously, wondering if he had become sick.

"I came to see if Yuuki was here. No one else has seen her for many hours, and in her… condition… I was worried. Why did _you_ want to see me?" Yori inquired. She suspected he had an agenda, which usually for guys meant they were up to no good or wanted something.

"Yes, Yuuki is with me, you have no need to worry," Kaname explained, lowering his voice as to not be overheard. "Yori… do you think that Yuuki would be happier forgetting about Zero? As if he never existed?" He looked deep into her eyes, wondering if she would tell him the truth. After several moments of silence, Yori swallowed, speculating if coming tonight was such a good idea.

"I don't see how that is possible, but yes, I do think she would be happier. Maybe she could go back to being happy. The way she is now… Yuuki is not Yuuki anymore." Yori frowned, fighting back tears. Having to deal with her best friend's anguish had eaten away at her as well.

"Thank you. I bid you goodnight," Kaname said quietly, respecting her for her loyalty. Before she could turn away he tapped a finger to her forehead, erasing Yori's memory of Zero and everything to do with him. She puckered her brow, confused by his touch, then removed herself from the building without a backwards glance.

Kaname went back upstairs to the bedroom, carefully shutting the door behind him. _Well, no point in letting her suffer any longer,_ he reasoned. Even though he had made up his mind, he hesitantly stood on the far end of the room, studying the sleeping form of Yuuki. He felt like he was resting on the edge of a precipice, and taking the next step would decide the whole of his life. When he took the next step, before his foot landed, his mind raced frantically. _Am I doing the right thing?_

His foot planted on solid group and his next step was the same. In this way he made his way across the room towards the bed. Kaname finally felt more comfortable with his resolution when he saw the Yuuki's face in the dim light. She was evidently dreaming, but tears were leaking out onto her flushed cheeks. Loosening his tie, Kaname began to unbutton his coat and vest. He got undressed at his own leisurely pace, leaving his underwear on. Making his way over to his dresser, he opened the drawer and got out his long shorts, which he rarely ever wore; Kaname preferred to sleep nude.

After putting them on, he slid into bed. Kaname curled around Yuuki who was lying on her back. There was nothing left to do but finish it, he decided. Reaching out one long fingered hand, he laid it across her eyes. A moment later he it pulled away, sighing softly. It was done. The morning would be the true trial. Kaname was just about to fall asleep when he noticed that Yuuki was smiling while she was dreaming. His last thought was to wonder what she was thinking of.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Another lemon this time! Hey, people! Read and review, I'm not joking. Please let me know of any mistakes as usual. Let me know what you think of this story.**

When Yuuki woke up, the barest glimmer of dawn shining through the draped windows, her mind felt like it was covered in fog. Sitting up, she shook her head, trying to clear it. _Where am I? What's going on? _Curiously looking around the room, her eyes finally fell on Kaname. Her lips twitched upwards in a loving smile, as she studied his slim, strong body that had held her throughout the night. Licking her lips, her gaze flicked up to Kaname's smiling face, bemused by her inspection. Yuuki blushed furiously, realizing she had been caught.

Yawning, Kaname snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her back down into the warmth of his bare chest. Yuuki turned her head and body to catch the kiss on her lips that Kaname had intended for her cheek and kissed him back. Surprised, he didn't move for a second, then finally moved his lips against hers. Returning the favour, Yuuki brought a hand up between them and placed it on his chest, feeling the muscle beneath the skin.

He took this for an invitation to explore her body a bit. His hand trailed down her side, wishing that the blouse wasn't between it and her skin. In the dimness, he could make out her curves and he allowed himself to think of Yuuki in a way that was in no way innocent. Seeing as she wasn't denying his attentions, Kaname slipped a hand underneath her shirt, stroking her smooth stomach. He moved slowly upwards until he came to the bottom of her bra and started to move around to her back. Barely fumbling with the catch, he felt Yuuki's lips stop moving against his.

Opening his eyes, he saw a tiny glimmer of confusion and surprise in her eyes, but not fear or any other emotion that would make him stop. Kaname licked her lip and began kissing her with significantly more heat, satisfied when her lips parted and moved in tandem with his. He explored her mouth whilst his hand moved around to the front, slowly creeping up under her bra. When a fingertip touched a nipple, it hardened instantly and Yuuki gasped, her eyes fluttering open. Instead of moving away, as Kaname had thought she would, she arched her back, pressing her chest into his hand and against his body.

Encouraged, he played with the hardened nub, which did very interesting things to Yuuki's breathing. Her delicate hand trailed unhurriedly down his body, making him shiver, before stopping at the waistband of his shorts. When her fingers hooked under the low riding strip, his body reacted of its own will. Kaname let out a startled grunt as she shifted closer, accidently brushing against the bulge. As he moved his concentration away from her breast Yuuki practically whimpered, but his hand took the same measured path that her had seconds before, letting his fingers caress and soothe her skin. Her stomach tensed as he passed by it, stroking the unconcealed muscles.

Kaname's fingers kept sliding down even after they reached her skirt. He gazed at Yuuki, trying to gauge her reaction, but she appeared to only be enjoying the advances. His hand slipped to the slip between her legs, discovering that her underwear was already slightly damp. Yuuki felt the slight feathery touch and moaned against his mouth, making Kaname's heart beat faster. Pressing a bit harder, his fingertips found the hypersensitive knot of nerves and she twitched forward in his arms. After getting her used to his touch, he pushed aside her underwear.

His breath came a little faster and he noticed that Yuuki was very flushed. She was working up an irresistible sheen of sweat. Parting their mouths, Kaname bent his head to gently lick her neck, tasting the scent of her skin. Pulling back before his bloodlust could become engaged, he was shocked to detect the feeling of Yuuki's lips and ragged breathing against his own neck. She nipped him lightly, ripping a groan from his throat, and continued to investigate the span of skin that was extremely susceptible to this type of attention.

No longer able to control his urge, he thrust a long finger inside of Yuuki. She sucked in a breath through her teeth, excited by this never-before experienced occurrence. Kaname could feel her muscles clench around his finger and he groaned again, too powerless to ignore the thoughts of another length being captured in that grasp. He moved in and out of her, taking pleasure in the senses electrified by her breath on his neck and the way her fingers twitched on his skin.

Curling his fingertips a tiny amount, he watched Yuuki's reaction. Her lids were half shut in ecstasy, moans escaping from between her parted lips. Suddenly her eyes opened wide and she dug her fingernails into Kaname's back, not quite hard enough to break the skin. Her sounds of pleasure grew louder and then her hips jerked against his hand one final time, her body becoming a ragdoll in his arms. Kaname felt her contract around his fingers while her muscles convulsed and liquid stickiness dripped from his fingers. Removing his hand from between her legs, he watched Yuuki's clouded eyes and smiled. He brought his hand up to his mouth, licking his fingers clean one by one, savoring the sweetness.

It took Yuuki a while to realize that she was sticky with sweat. Getting to her shaky feet, she took her leave of Kaname's presence. Making her way to the bathroom was a difficult task, but she managed to do it without tripping. She could feel his gaze lingering on her back, so she stopped at the door to smile over her shoulder had him. Kaname remained in bed a bit longer, thinking, certain that he had made the right choice.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: He returns!!!!!! Wooo! I've been waiting for this!**

**Sorry for taking so long on publishing the next chapter, but university midterms are hell. I should have a bit more time again for the next couple weeks. **

**Please READ and REVIEW! I love all your comments, the good and bad.**

Zero brought the axe down once again, to bite through the wood. He had been chopping firewood for hours and his breath was coming in ragged gasps. His shirt hung on a branch near by and the thin breeze felt good against his sweating body. Dawn had crept into a grey sky morning and the axe felt much heavier in his hands then when he had started. Staggering, he made his way over to his shirt, using it to wipe down his face. He knew he looked haggard, his skin stretched taunt over his skin. Since leaving Cross Academy he had starved himself of blood and had barely ate any real food.

Making his way inside, he climbed the stairs to his room. The innkeeper had been nice enough to let him work around the house and yard for payment. She was a burly woman, strong minded but kind. Flopping onto the small cot, he laid there, relaxed by the fact that he was too tired to think. Lately, thinking had been too painful; Yuuki's face always worked its way into his mind. What he had done to her… it was too hard to imagine.

A tap on the door announced the presence of Imari, the innkeeper's daughter, before she entered the room. She had taken a special interest in Zero, coming by and "checking" on him. Zero felt slightly embarrassed by all the attention but unlike at home, here he didn't have a job to do. Now the way she looked up at him through her ebony eyelashes, shyly smiling, was a way to help distract him from everything he had left behind.

Imari moved to the end of the bed, nervously shifting from one foot to the other. He appeared to be asleep, but he was still slick with the sheen of sweat, which only made his muscles more defined. She stared entranced by his half naked body, her pink lips parting, no longer able to get enough air through her nose. Her hand reached up to fiddle with her black tresses, pinned up in a new style, her exotic green eyes wide.

Leaning over, her fingers just a bare whisper from his arm, she found her wrist grasped in Zero's tight grip. Gasping, she couldn't move, mortified that he had known she had been watching him, and had actually almost touched him. His eyes were sleepily half lidded; he smiled lazily up at her, looking like a true predator. Then his gaze fell on her exposed neck and he could see, hear, _feel_, the blood pumping through her arteries. Choking, he clawed at his neck trying to rid the painfulness of his contracting muscles. Swallowing convulsively, Zero watched as Imari's expression changed to fright. He couldn't be sure if it was fear _for_ him, or _of_ him, but he knew that he couldn't contain his bloodlust any longer.

Yanking on her wrist, he pulled her down on top of him as he flipped over onto his back. He nuzzled his face into Imari's neck, when suddenly the smell of spiced apples invaded his nose. Unbidden, his eyes welled with water, remembering all the times he had hurt Yuuki in such a manner. How scared she must have been to have his beastly fangs rip through her skin, taking away part of her innocence. Imari was quivering with terror in his forceful arms, but she didn't cry out, even as his fangs nicked into her neck.

"I'm s-sorry!" Zero murmured around the blood in his mouth, stammering as the tears continued to fall. He wasn't sure who he was apologizing to more, the hapless girl in his grip, or the one he had left alone at Cross Academy. Then pure instinct took over and he couldn't stop his animalistic needs. Sucking mouthful after mouthful of crimson delicacy into his starved body, he could feel his sanity slipping away silently, swirling down the drain. It felt like hours before his thirst was sated, his brain stepping from out from the red fog. Stunned, he realized that the body in his arms was just that – a body. It housed a soul no longer. Imari's skin was pale white, lifeless. He had drained her completely.

He moved around the room in a daze. Through his anguish, he managed to pack. Before he left the room, Zero arranged Imari onto her back, instead of leaving her like a forgotten ragdoll spilled upon the blankets. He made his way from the silent house with his bag slung across his shoulder. Moving into the woods, he blended into the forest silently. His internal compass led him straight towards his destination. Zero had a promise to keep and he intended to suffer every step.

xXx

Striding from the woods two days later, Zero found himself on the Academy's property. He passed through the same cluster of trees in which he had taken blood from Yuuki weeks ago, sending a stab of pain through his heart. That was when he had believed that maybe, if he stayed in her presence, everything would end up fine if he could just hold her a little bit closer for a little bit longer. Staggering onwards, he entered the sprawling building, heading straight for Yuuki's room. Without bothering to knock, he burst into the bedroom, expecting to experience that heart wrenching feeling when he set eyes on Yuuki, but she wasn't there. Confused, he scrutinized the abandoned emptiness. All of her things were gone.

Slamming the door behind him, he rapidly paced down the hallway to the Chairman's office. Again, he opened the door without further notice, to the Chairman's excitement. He enveloped Zero in a hug before Zero could dodge, squeezing tightly. Zero could feel some tears dampen his shirt from the Chairman's unrestrained embarrassing emotions. Pushing him away, Zero got right down to business.

"Where is Yuuki?" Zero demanded loudly. He needed to find her and get this over and done with. He had let this go on for far too long.

"Oh dear, I had forgotten about this. Kaname told me last week. Zero… she doesn't remember you. He removed you from her memories. She was having trouble… adjusting… to life without you. The way you left her… well let's just say she was in a bad state. I couldn't bear to see my little Yuuki so upset!" The Chairman erupted into another fountain of tears just remembering. "She's been living with Kaname now. It seems like all the feelings she had bottled up for you got transferred over to him in the process."

Zero felt bile rise up in his throat thinking of Kaname's slimy hands on Yuuki. Without another word he turned on his heel, intent on getting to the Moon Dorm as fast as possible. There was no way he would let that pureblood filth wrap Yuuki around his finger using cheap mind tricks! Advancing towards the ominous building, he felt someone watching him from one of the windows. Looking up, he made eye contact with Kaname. The both regarded each other with uncontained hatred. If sparks flew now, what could happen when they came face to face?


	10. Chapter 10

**An: I know, I've been waiting for this so long as well! Please READ and REVIEW. If I don't get more reviews, I might not feel motivated enough to publish another chapter!**

Zero shoved open the double doors with the flat of his palms, the slap stinging his hands. Kaname stood waiting in the foyer, serene and reserved in composure, but Zero could see the unrefined hatred glittering in his burgundy wine eyes. Reaching into the inside pocket of his jacket, he pulled out Bloody Rose with the sound of clinking metal chains chiming in the eerie hush. Zero looked down the gun pointed directly at Kaname's heart, the blood thudding in his ears. The sound just reminded Zero that it wasn't his blood that flowed through his veins. The click of the safety snapping off reverberated in the huge room, multiplied a thousand times over.

"Kaname? Where did you go? Kaname? Kaname!" Yuuki's singsong voice floated around the room, settling over Zero like a layer of dust. She appeared soon after at the top of the stairs, dressed in a white gown, a hand trailing like a caress on the banister. Her sweeping gaze fell upon Zero and the weapon pointed straight at Kaname's heart and she froze, confused. Didn't everyone like Kaname?

Zero's throat tightened painfully. She truly didn't remember him. There was no recognition in her perplexed expression. Locking all his feelings for her back into the box whence they had come, hidden even from him, he took a step forward. Kaname intercepted him, calmly keeping his eyes on Zero's trigger finger. Zero's eyes narrowed, reminded of the vampire obstacle.

"Yuuki. Come here. I know you don't remember me, but I have a promise to keep, and you have one too. Even if you've forgotten it, it still holds!" Zero hissed angrily, uncertain who exactly who he was the most furious with. Twisting Bloody Rose in his hands, he turned the grip away from him. Kaname smirked, finally understanding why Zero had returned. Laughing aloud, he gestured to Yuuki, telling her it was okay to join them at the bottom of the stairs.

Yuuki cautiously stepped down the stairs, moving towards Kaname, craving his comforting touch. His arm wrapped around her waist for a moment, then propelled her forward. Kaname gestured again, this time towards the gun, trying to repress his grin. Zero had made his execution so much easier.

Taking the gun from Zero's hands, her eyes meeting his and then danced across his face. Zero watched and swore he saw the barest flicker of recognition light up their depths. She ripped her eyes away from his face to examine Bloody Rose, appreciating the beauty of such a dangerous object. Yuuki's fingers gently traced the patterns engraved upon its length. After she finished her inspection, she tried to hand it back to Zero.

"Shoot me, Yuuki. Aim for my heart." Zero's voice came out quiet, twisted with hurt, seeing her reaction to his words. Innocent horror filled her eyes, bewildered by his request. His voice rose, gathering volume with force of the snowball of his anger. "You promised. Now keep your word!"

"SHOOT ME, YUUKI!" Zero roared, his voice hoarse. Falling to his knees, he clutched her wrist, putting the gun properly into her hand with his other. Pulling the gun down to his heart, he stared up at her, wishing for his end. Yuuki's baffled terror changed into tears as memories flooded back, broken through the barrier that Kaname had erected in her mind.

Her arms surrounded the body that housed a broken heart, unknowingly breaking Kaname's as she tried to comfort Zero's shuddering sobs. _She shouldn't be able to remember him!_ Kaname thought, mentally sputtering. As his insides churned, he maintained the unruffled façade on the outside. Yuuki would come back to him; after all, she had all but proclaimed Kaname as her lover these past weeks. Quietly, he made his departure up the stairs, returning to his room, waiting for his Yuuki's return.

Yuuki led Zero outside, leaning on her like a crutch. She had to get him somewhere that was away from the listening ears of the Moon Dorm's vampires. Zero's sobs had turned into quiet sniffles, ashamed of the way he was acting like a child. Dead leaves stirred in their passing as she towed him behind her. Finally, convinced that no one was around, Yuuki confronted Zero. His bright amethyst eyes shone in the dim shade, no longer holding any anger but the deep sorrow still lingered.

"Tell me what happened Zero? I remember everything now… I can't believe Kaname would erase my memories of you without asking!" Yuuki was outraged, but all the pain of Zero's harsh parting words crashed into her heart for the second time. Struggling with her own hurt heart, she understood that whatever had happened to him was far more important. She hadn't thought about killing herself, but he seemed on the brink of using the gun on himself, to hell with any promises.

"I'm falling to a level E. I killed an innocent girl. I drained her, Yuuki!" Zero's lips twisted, remembering the lovely taste of Imari's blood. After taking so much to drink, he was still full. He felt physically better than he had in weeks. Yuuki flinched at his declaration, fright creeping into her eyes. Playing on her fears, he forced his lips into a maliciously mocking smile. "Kill me before I kill you, Yuuki."

"No matter what kind of sick joke you have played on me, I won't kill you before you descend to a true level E! You're still not there yet, so don't bother in trying to get me to do it!" Yuuki yelled, turning on her heel to march away from Zero, livid. With her spiteful words Zero finally recalled what he had said to make Yuuki let him leave. Gaping at her rigid back, it took him a couple seconds to start after her.

"Wait, Yuuki! I didn't mean what I said to you! I knew that you wouldn't let me leave any other way, so I said what I could to make you _want_ me to leave…" Zero trailed off as she stopped, her back still to him. Yuuki mulled over his words, trying to discern if this was just another trick. He probably would say whatever he could to make her shoot him.

"I don't believe you!" Yuuki turned around sharply, staring into his eyes defiantly. Her hair whipped around her face in the sudden gust of wind. Surprised, Zero took another step forward until they were only inches apart. Yuuki had to crane her neck to look up at him. She had forgotten how tall he was.

"I have only lived his long because of you. Now I want to die, for you. I couldn't bear to kill you, Yuuki." His voice was soft, barely a whisper. She leaned forward, trying to catch his words. Abruptly his arms were around her, holding her close. He bent his head to smell the apple spice scent that he had missed so much. Murmuring, his voice muffled in her hair he pleaded. "Please, don't let me hurt you."


	11. Chapter 11

Yuuki remained in his embrace for a couple minutes, relaxing completely at his comforting words. _So Zero doesn't hate me,_ she sighed in relief. _Oh no… what do I do about Kaname?_ Tensing, she realized that she should be angry with Kaname. He didn't even ask her opinion on the matter. Her nails dug into Zero's skin and he winced, trying to draw away from the pain.

"Go back to your room and get unpacked. I've got some things to take care of." Yuuki's voice was flat and emotionless, but Zero could feel the biting anger beneath her words. He assumed that it was directed towards him, so he withdrew his arms without any resistance. _If she's still irritated with me, what should I do to stop it? _He thought, understanding why she would still be mad, but he had hoped that his return would have fixed that. Meekly, he followed Yuuki out of the woods and turned towards his old room.

He wiped his sleeve harshly over his eyes, refusing to appear disheveled in front of any stray Night Class students. His eyes were bloodshot and stung, but he ignored the dryness. The walk back to his room seemed to be longer then usual, but he finally entered the darkness and flopped on the bed. There wasn't anything he could do anymore, seeing as Yuuki refused to end his existence until he actually descended to a level E. _It won't be long, anyway._ _I'll just have to make sure I don't kill her in the process._

Back at the Night Dorm Yuuki ascended the stairs slowly, leaving herself time to sort through her feelings. She remembered how she had first come to stay with Kaname and his words at her forward kisses; "_what you do now, you can't take back."_ Her steps stuttered, and she clung onto the railing, trying to steady her suddenly shaking body. _I might have betrayed my feelings for Zero, but Kaname deceived me._ She forced herself onwards, nowhere near ready for this confrontation.

Yuuki pushed open Kaname's study door. He stood at the window like the day she had first come here. She wondered how this meeting would end. The dim light of twilight floated through the windows, so he appeared a slim, strong silhouette. When she closed the door behind her with a click, he turned briskly and strode to meet her, sweeping her into a hug. Smiling, he was happy at her return until he felt the stiffness of her body. Abruptly, he realized that she wasn't here for his warm hold - she was here to reprimand.

"I just wanted your smile back, Yuuki. I never thought he would return, but now that he has, my spell has been undone. It was only for your protection. If you were never so upset about his disappearance, I never would have taken away your memories." Kaname pulled her harder against his chest, saying sorry with his body. He felt her relax in his arms and he took that as a sign that he had been forgiven.

Dipping his head, he placed kisses on her forehead, until she tilted her face up to look at him. Kaname kissed her mouth softly. All the memories of her stay in this Night Dorm came to Yuuki's attention - the feeling of his fingers on her skin, the way he held her, the gentle way he kissed her, the tenderness behind his cool composure. So she kissed him back, tasted the way his lips parted lightly, and closed her eyes. But it was Zero who was the figure she saw behind her lids. She jumped, tearing herself from Kaname's grasp.

"I-I'm s-sorry! I forgot! Zero is waiting for me back in his room. I have to talk to him." Yuuki stumbled backwards, tripping on the edge of the carpet. The smell of blood flooded the room as she scraped her leg on sharp edge of the low table. Kaname's eyes flared red as he dove after her, attempting to break her fall. He was caught off guard by her reaction and as a result hadn't been able to stop the inevitability of Yuuki's clumsiness. At the last moment he leaped away, trying to contain his vampire instincts in the presence of such a sweet smelling delicacy.

"Go! Get that bleeding under control before you come back." Kaname hissed, upset with himself. He had never been so powerless to the scent and he felt like a common vampire. _I'm no better than that shmuck Kiryuu,_ he thought, enraged. This anger only made the smell more deliciously maddening, which just made him absolutely furious for letting emotions touch him at a time like this.

Yuuki fled from the room, chased by the sound of his animalistic snarl as he paced the room relentlessly. Blood trickled down her leg and left tiny splatters on the carpet. The stairs proved troublesome for her, but she managed to get out the door without breaking her neck. She raced back to the mansion, up to the bathroom and fumbled with the first aid kit. After she got herself bandaged up and rearranged her windswept hair, she moved slowly down the hall, favoring her good leg.

Tapping lightly on the door, she only waited bare seconds before opening the door. Twin crimson orbs hung in the waiting darkness. Zero had smelled the blood from Yuuki's passing and he had hoped she wouldn't come to his room until the stench had gone away, but apparently she just couldn't keep herself safe. _Idiot!_ He screamed in his mind, feeling the fangs pressing against his lips, his tongue running along the inside of his mouth.

"Do you _like_ having your blood sucked? Do you _enjoy _it that much? Come closer, Yuuki, so I can give you what you _want_." The words came out silky, smooth, a sadistic croon. His human side shouted out for her leave before it was too late, but his vampire side was too strong. He opened his arms wide, waiting for her to step into them.

"It… it's not so bad when you're gentle." She stepped forward, trying to brave in the face of such a predator. Convincing herself that no matter what colour his eyes were or how disturbingly odd he was acting, Zero was still Zero. She walked straight up to him, placing her hands lightly on his chest. He smiled, reveling in the apprehension before drinking her blood. His fangs sunk slowly into her neck and his mouth was filled with rich taste.

**AN: Sorry about the ending, I know it's abrupt. I plan to continue with the scene in the next chapter, no worries. I just wanted to get out the next part of what happens. =)**

**Please, like usual, READ and REVIEW. I do not reread for edits before I publish these because I try to get the material out as quickly as possible. If you come across any spelling/grammatical errors, please let me know. My spell check does not catch them all.**


	12. Chapter 12

As Zero's fangs sunk into her neck, she trembled slightly, in preparation for the pain, which surprisingly never came. _He's being even more gentle than normal, but he's closer to being a level E than ever before…?_ Yuuki was confused about this deviation from his normal behavior and was slightly disturbed. Was this a good thing or a bad thing? She giggled nervously, laughing at herself for over thinking this. She should be happy that he didn't hurt her with that initial bite.

Then she felt his hips press against her stomach and the hardness between them. She couldn't back away because his arms formed an iron grip around her. Taking a step backwards proved useless; he took one as well and the many more that followed only succeeded in backing her against the wall. This only increased the pressure of his body against hers and did not change the way he sucked greedily at her neck. Yuuki was beginning to feel a growing seed of terror, even though she had often enjoyed and encouraged his advances. This time felt different.

Just as she was about to tell Zero that he had to stop, she was getting too lightheaded, he withdrew his fangs from her throat. His eyes were still a shade of crimson, but they were beginning to show violet through the red haze. He stared down at her, panting slightly. Perspiration was forming on his forehead and Yuuki realized that he had never sweated during one of these meetings before. She unexpectedly was falling forward as he tore himself away from her. In the matter of seconds he was on the other side of the room, pacing frantically.

"How can you let me do that to you? Doesn't the fact that I'm a thoughtless beast disgust you? I feed off of your living body, Yuuki!" Zero's voice was strangled, squeezed forcefully through his rapidly closing throat. He couldn't believe that he had allowed the vampire instincts full control when it was so dangerous. He had come here to stop exactly this from happening, but hadn't lasted a day. Groaning, he caught sight of her sprawled body, arranged ungracefully on the floor.

Using anger to fight off the remaining bloodlust flowing through his veins, he quickly rushed over to Yuuki. He gathered her limp body in his arms, realizing that she probably shouldn't stand after having lost that much blood. Dropping her onto the bed, he sat down beside her, feeling her forehead for any sign of sickness. She passed his test and he looked at her studiously, wonder what he should do. He couldn't get her to kill him yet, seeing as he hadn't had to force himself upon her; she had willingly stepped into his ravenous arms.

"I let you take my blood because it helps you… because you don't make me feel used. Afterwards… you make up for it. Your silent apologizes are enough thanks for me." Choking the words out, Yuuki tried to convey what she felt about the matter. "I get to see behind that cold face, and see what you really feel. That makes up for everything." The sad, mistreated look on her face made Zero's heart thump faster and a flush creep into his otherwise pale cheeks.

"I'm sorry. I never thought of the comfort you offered me afterwards as giving back to you. I saw it as a way to fight off the monster I am becoming, a reassurance that you didn't hate me for what I did, and keep doing to you." The anguish in his eyes returned from this afternoon, settling deep into his bones. All of this wasn't fair to her, but she kept coming back for more. What was it inside himself that she saw that he didn't?

Reaching up, Yuuki tried to gently smooth away the wrinkle between his brows. Her efforts only increased the size of it as he tried to comprehend what exactly she was doing. Finally, he collapsed on the bed, stretching out alongside her body. Zero hesitantly touched her hair, maintaining eye contact. He didn't know why he was so nervous all of a sudden. When was he ever nervous? Never. His brain went into a hyper drive, only acting to fuel the itchiness of the feeling.

As his mind zoomed around several different topics, his eyes traced their way to her lips. They were a soft plush pout, delicately parted. With his fixation with her mouth, he hadn't even noticed that he had been steadily leaning in until his face was bare inches away. He stopped fiddling with her hair and touched her lips, just a whisper across the flesh. Then his mouth found hers and there was no more thought, only the feeling of skin against skin.

As their kiss progressed heatedly, Yuuki found herself underneath the solid body of Zero. He held himself up on his forearms, still coherent enough to remember not to crush her comparably fragile body. When a need for air became rather apparent, he pulled himself away into a sitting position, trying to get his male reactions under control. Kneeling over top of her, he pulled his shirt over his head. After it had been discarded, he began to fiddle with the bottom of Yuuki's white dress.

"Is this… is this okay?" He asked hesitantly, suddenly unsure of what her reaction would be. Her face was flushed and she appeared flustered by the question. Yuuki nodded scarcely perceptibly. The unease in his eyes diminished and he slid the dress upwards, his hands skimming her body. She pushed her hips upwards, allowing the material to move smoothly up, past her plain cotton underwear. Sitting up, she raised her arms to let him pull it over her head, revealing her white lace bra. Suddenly embarrassed, she crossed her arms across her body, trying to cover herself.

"There is nothing about your body that you should be ashamed of." Zero was surprised and a bit annoyed by her self-consciousness. Grasping her arms, he pinned them above her head in one hand. The other brazenly stroked her stomach, then moved upwards to caress her bared chest. Reclaiming her mouth, he felt her arch away from the bed, pressing herself more fully into his hand. She moaned into his mouth when his fingers touched her nipple through the thin fabric.

The intensity of their hunger grew along with their panting breaths. Trailing kisses down her body, Zero avoided her neck, knowing that would only make the bloodlust rise in him once again. He moved straight down her body, between the twin roundness of her breasts, slowing as speed as he reached her bellybutton. He looked up, seeking reassurance for this advancement. Yuuki's eyes were glazed, but trusting and open.

His fingers hooked her underwear at the hips, bit by bit pulling them down as he kissed his way along. Yuuki's hands were clenched in the blankets, feeling the need in the pit of her stomach and the heat building between her legs. She was very apprehensive about what was going to happen next, because she wasn't completely sure what Zero was going to do. Laying back into the covers, she surrendered completely.

Her underwear slipped down easily, and then they were off. She felt extremely unprotected, baring herself to him like this, left in only her bra. Then all thoughts were erased as Zero pushed her legs apart, not even noticing her slight resistance. His finger glided inside her, drawing a gasp from her. She looked down at him and saw the inquisitive smile on his parted lips before his tongue flicked out to lick her. Her fingers clenched almost painfully into the covers, but she barely could feel it. Everything was centered on the sensation of his hot mouth, the strokes of his tongue, and the swirls of his finger inside her.

Lost in the chaos of heat, her fingers instead became scrunched in his soft silver hair. Yuuki was much more animated than Zero had seen her before and he groaned faintly into her, unbelievably excited by her feverish gasps. She began to tighten around his fingers and he knew she was close. Curling his fingers, he felt her spasm underneath him and her moans become exceedingly louder. A few seconds later, after riding out her shivers, he withdrew from her to collapse beside her on the bed. He held her close, allowing himself to be content with the feeling of her glossed skin against his body.

**AN: Gah! Sorry this took so long. University sucks for taking away all my spare time! Thank you so much for the reviews, and please, keep them coming!**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: Sorry this has taken so long. You'll find out more about the overall storyline next chapter. I wrote this a while ago, and it was meant to be a sort of bonus chapter, so there isn't anything to do with the whole Kaname vs. Zero deal in this one.** **Please read and review. =)**

**Thank you all for your kind words. You definitely are convincing me to write more now, seeing as I finished my first year at university yesterday.  
**

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The Chairman had hired two teachers to do surveillance in Zero and Yuuki's absence from the job. Life had gone back to normal besides the lack of chores, but Yuuki found she could concentrate more easily on her studies and actually managed to stay awake through all her classes. Thus, she had gotten much better marks on the latest quizzes with one exception – math; no amount of studying could improve her skills in that area! Father had congratulated her most thoroughly and as a reward he was taking them out for dinner.

She was quit excited about dressing up to go to a fancy restaurant. It had been years since the Chairman had taken them out for a classy meal, mainly because he enjoyed cooking what could only be described as "interesting" delicacies for his children. Zero had never really appeared happy about these outings, which definitely had dampened the Chairman's boundless bliss. However, today, when the news was announced, Zero had barely flinched. The news had elicited no groans, headshakes, or penetrating stares from the grump, and his expression remained carefully neutral as Yuuki and the Chairman looked on in wonder at this change.

Zero schooled his natural response to anything that made the Chairman leap around in unrestrained enthusiasm. He did this only because the flickering flame of Yuuki's spirit was just beginning to reappear in her eyes, and he knew that doing things she liked would return her back to her normal smiling self faster than anything else. So he grit his teeth against the thought of having to wear a suit. While he grudgingly was donning the clothing, back in her room Yuuki happily picked out what to wear.

She had finally settled on a dark blue dress, short and flirtatious. It was plainly cut to the middle thigh, skimming cozily over her body, but the fabric had a beautiful sheen that dimly reflected the light. The bodice was cut in a heart shape, held up only by thin lacy straps. Yuuki twisted in front of the mirror to look over her shoulder at the dipping back. Smiling, she shook out her hair, deciding to leave it hanging down. Pairing the dress with silver slippers and necklace, she sighed, convinced that she was - finally - ready.

Peeking out into the hallway, she caught a glimpse of Zero's long, lean figure leaning against his doorframe, obviously waiting impatiently. His foot tapped on the floor, casually beating out a nervous rhythm. Silvery hair covered his face because his head was tipped down, presumably so he could stare at the floor. The creak of the door as she opened it wider drew his attention, his eyes flashing to locate the sound. Then he saw the figure standing in the doorway and his breath caught in his warningly very dry throat. Gulping unsteadily, he refused to give into his vampire instincts, especially on a night like tonight. Tonight was all about Yuuki.

Standing up straighter, he tried to loosen the confining tie that threatened to choke him. Giving her a second look over, he thought with no small relief that at least she had enough sense to leave her hair down. He deliberated on the fact that there was a lot more skin showing that more than made up for the small part that was covered by her hair. Jealousy crept up his spine at the thought of Kaname - or any other guy for that matter – seeing her like this. His mind then revisited the fact that Kaname and she had been sleeping together and his anger almost got the best of him.

Instead, he marched down the hallway, gave Yuuki a glare, and carelessly offered her an arm. It was the nicest he felt like being right now, with images of her and _that asshole_ tangled in sweaty sheets. Grimacing, he didn't notice her offended look and the way her chin wobbled, a prelude to tears. Luckily, the Chairman chose that moment to make an appearance. He exuberantly called down the hallway towards them, waving at them to move faster. Neither of them complied, but eventually they made their way out to the waiting car.

The drive to the restaurant was short, but uncomfortable silence filling the vehicle made it seem that much longer. The Chairman was unnervingly quiet, too transfixed by the scenery to make much conversation. Yuuki let out a breath that felt like she had been holding in since they left and got out of the car, trying to be graceful. She almost tripped and fell on the curb. Inside, it was surprisingly unpopulated, when normally this was supposed to be dinner rush hour. There were a few other patrons dressed in similar formal attire, but the atmosphere of the room was hushed and calm, reminiscent of the earthy tones of the decoration.

A waiter showed them to their table and Yuuki was pleased to find the seat cushions delightfully fluffy. Zero made no comment, but his lips twitched upwards in a small smile at the expression on her face, forgetting his recent resentful thoughts. They ordered quickly and got their food in short order. The meal was good but not worthy of much attention, so conversation was their main concentration. Even Zero managed to loosen up considerably, stringing words together to form actual sentences.

About halfway through the meal the Chairman's cell phone rang and he was called away on urgent business. He left them plenty of money for paying for dinner and any desert Yuuki managed to put her mind to, plus some for the taxi ride home. He yelled apologizes over his shoulder as he stampeded the doorway, coat flapping in his personal hurricane. Zero and Yuuki looked at each other and sighed dramatically. They continued their dinner in good humor, until the smell of fresh meat hit Zero like a train when a wrong gust of wind from the kitchen hit his nose.

His eyes flew open, the iris's turning completely red. Yuuki could see his fangs length between his parted lips. Even though he wasn't looking at her with that predatory gaze, she shivered uncontrollably before she could come to her senses. Taking charge of the situation, she swiftly surveyed the room to find out if anybody had discovered that there was a vampire among them. Fortunately everyone was intent on his or her meals.

"Zero! Get to the bathroom. I'll be there in a second." Yuuki muttered quietly, knowing he would hear her. She flapped her hand desperately in the direction of the restrooms, trying to catch his attention. When he tried to shake his head, she furiously overrode his protest. "Now!"

Sharply, he rose from his seat, almost knocking it over. His legs moved choppily as he willed himself to the bathroom, trying to ignore the smell of fresh blood in the kitchen. Sliding down the wall, he left the door unlocked in anticipation of Yuuki. He knew that taking blood from her was so wrong, so dangerous, but he couldn't help himself. If he didn't have blood soon, he was going to loose his control and he knew that he would drain another person to the point of death. Yuuki bursting into the room and quickly locking it behind her interrupted his thoughts.

She moved over top of him and knelt, straddling his tensed thighs. Her deep auburn eyes were filled with concern at his health, which only angered him. She shouldn't be worried about him - she should be worried herself! She was trapped in a room with a vampire! His gaze took in her slender neck, where he could easily discern her pulse. Pulling her into his arms, he planted a kiss on her throat before pushing his fangs into her skin, effortlessly taking her life's blood.

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**Please read and review! I have edited Chapters 1 through to 12, and I am offering them as a pdf file. If you wish to have this, please email me: ahzureas AT gmail DOT com  
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